Robert A. Randol came to Texas from Winchester, Virginia in 1876 and purchased a working grain mill. According to the Texas Historical Commission, the original mill was built in 1856 by Archibald Leonard and served as a community center and county voting place. The original mill was burned to the ground in 1860, but reopened in 1862. The mill changed owners many times, but eventually was owned by Randol until his death in 1922. While the mill burned again in 1933 and was not rebuilt, the park honoring Randol’s mill, and the community spirit it embodied, flourishes today. It features a baseball and softball complex, basketball courts, concrete and nature trails, a family aquatic center, fishing ponds, playgrounds, and tennis courts. A pavilion and a large group area can be rented through the Arlington Parks Department via email or by calling 817-459-5473.

Fishing is permitted in Randol Mill Pond. A nature trail meanders around the pond and through the park.

Located in Randol Mill Park are four flower beds which are twenty-one feet wide. The beds vary in size from 1,000 to 1,500 feet in length. The backdrop of the beds are burford hollies, cannas, and perennials. The color lines give the flower beds a unique look to the park. These flower beds are changed out three to four times a year.

Adjacent to Tierra Verde Golf Club, MLK Sports Center is part of the Reserve at Arlington. The first Audubon sanctioned sports center in the United States, the design and maintenance of the complex is dedicated to environmental sensitivity. Recycled materials were used in construction. No hazardous chemicals are used to maintain the facility helping preserve the existing natural resources.

While the name Martin Luther King, Jr. is synonymous with struggle, it is also synonymous with progress, something that is showcased by this park. The 100-acre center features baseball fields maintained with organic pesticides and herbicides, an interpretive nature trail and a playground made of recycled materials. The park’s drainage travels through a filter system before flowing into Sublett Creek. These innovations in park design and environmental stewardship were recognized when the complex became the first sports facility in the world to achieve the prestigious Audubon Signature designation in October 2000. Elzie Odom, Arlington’s first African-American mayor, threw out the first pitch for a ballgame on January 17, 2000, officially opening the center. During his speech commemorating the day, Odom said that it was, “A place for families, of all cultures.”

J.W. Dunlop served Arlington as a member of the Arlington Fire Department from 1953 - 1982.He was an avid Arlington historian and amassed a collection of over 1,000 historical photos. Thecollection can be found in the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries Special Collections.Additionally, he worked to preserve local cemeteries and the meaning of local street names.

Taking pictures was simply a hobby for James William “J.W.” Dunlop. But for the man whose volunteer efforts in the Arlington Fire Department blossomed into a career that spanned four decades, his hobby of taking pictures to preserve Arlington’s history ultimately resulted in the city’s most extensive collection of images. After Dunlop retired from the Arlington Fire Department, he began a new career as the unofficial caretaker of the Arlington Cemetery, which dates back to 1875 and had been neglected for decades. Dunlop not only tended he grounds, he took the next 17 years pouring over city and county records to get the names to those who were buried in Arlington Cemetery in previously unmarked graves. JW Dunlop Sport Center features baseball and soccer fields, a BMX trail and two playgrounds. It also has two pavilions available for rent through the Arlington Parks Department via email or by calling 817-459-5473.

If you or your children have been playing organized sports in Arlington for a while, chances are you’ve played at Harold Patterson Sports Center. Dedicated in 1990, this 135-acre park features baseball, football, soccer, and softball fields. Named for former mayor and lifelong Arlington resident Harold Patterson, this huge facility reflects Patterson’s equally impressive record during his days at City Hall. As Arlington’s population nearly doubled under his tenure, the city began developing projects such as The Parks at Arlington mall, Lincoln Square shopping center, and the Arlington Convention Center. Thanks to these focused efforts to build the City’s economic base, combined with big name draws such as Six Flags over Texas and the Texas Rangers, tourism had become a half-billion dollar industry attracting four million visitors a year by the mid-1980s.

Carlisle Cravens was a member of one of Arlington’s founding families. President of Arlington National Bank, he was a major proponent of changing UTA from a two year school to a four year school.

City of Arlington Parks and Recreation • 817-459-5473 •

If you’re a current student or alumni of the University of Texas at Arlington, you should thank Carlisle Cravens. As president of Arlington National Bank whose grandfather was a prominent Texas educator and served as State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1889 to January 1899, Cravens knew that changing UTA from a two year school to a four would be a boon for the city’s development. The park named in his honor, which is located in southeast Arlington, boasts six baseball fields, tennis and volleyball courts, a basketball court and playgrounds within its 86 acres. It also has a pavilion that seats 50 people available for rent through the Arlington Parks Department via email or by calling 817-459-5473.

Rent a Field

Gold Medal Winner

The City of Arlington Parks and Recreation Department was recently named the Gold Medal Winner for excellence in Park and Recreation Management by the National Recreation and Park Association for 2018.